It is a common practice in bee keeping to employ bee hives containing nine or ten removable sections comonly referred to as frames, which frames may contain honeycomb starter sheets intended to facilitate the development of honeycombs. Typically, removable frames are rectangular in shape and are provided at the top with an extension projecting from each end. Frames are positioned within a bee hive by resting the frame extensions on ledges provided at the ends of a hive body.
Uniform frame spacing is an essential requirement for efficient operation of a bee hive. Unequal spacing may result from failure to properly position frame extensions on the ledges or from movement of frames within a hive body. Deposits of a resinous substance known as propolis often accumulate on frame extensions, and adjoining frames may be firmly bound together and frames may be bound to the hive body by excess accumulations of the glue-like material, thereby making it difficult to remove frames without damaging them or contaminating the honey. Breakage of frame extensions is a problem commonly experienced by bee keepers.
Attempts have been made in the past to obtain uniform frame spacing and to minimize the accumulation of propolis. U.S. Pat. No. 1,929,648 issued on Oct. 10, 1933 to Charles Errett Phillips shows a frame spacer for bee hives comprising a bar provided with a plurality of projecting teeth adapted to operate between the frames of a hive and to hold the frames in a spaced relationship and to prevent bees from depositing propolis on frame extensions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,274,090 issued on Feb. 24, 1942 to Eric C. H. Olson shows a metal angle strip placed over rabbets formed in the ledges of the end walls of bee hives to reduce propolization of frames to supports by reducing the area of contact. U.S. Pat. No. 2,446,346 issued on Aug. 3, 1948 to Irvin A. Stoller and U.S. Pat. No. 2,580,282 issued on Dec. 25, 1951 to O. A. Colley show metal frame supports and spacers intended to provide uniform frame spacing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,177 issued on June 28, 1974 to Kenneth F. Croan shows a self-gripping spacer strip for use in holding artificial honeycombs properly spaced from one another in a bee hive.